« What's Your Store's Super Customer Saying? | Main | It’s Show Time! Are you ready? »
Iconic Made in Canada Products….Any Suggestions?
Last week a tweet from @TuijaSeipell led me to an article-slideshow on CBS MoneyWatch.com titled “Made in USA: 10 Great Products Still Made Here.” In it, Bob Trebilcock pointed out that the US is “still the world’s largest manufacturing economy, producing $1.6 trillion of goods each year, or 21 percent of global production.” A total that is, he writes, “nearly as much as Japan (13 percent) and China (12 percent) combined.”
To emphasize his point, he listed 10 companies that have always made their “best-in-class products” in the U.S. They are: Weber Grills, Tesla Motor Roadsters, Herman Miller Chairs, L.L. Bean Maine Hunting Shoes, Homer Laughlin China’s Fiestaware, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Viking Ranges, Allen Edmonds Shoes, Mortara Instrument ECG Machines, and Tibor Fly-Fishing Reels.
This got me wondering about what Canadian-made products might make a similar list. Canada’s manufacturing sales in 2009 were $494,161, 000,000. Less than a third of what the US produces but still enough to provide a substantial number of products to choose from. Or, so I thought.
The first iconic product that came to mind was the Hudson Bay Company’s Point Blanket. However, a visit to that company’s site revealed a disturbing truth: The blanket is made in England. Always has been. I also had to rule out Roots products because I couldn’t determine which items in their broad offering are made in Canada. However, I did come up with these three companies:
1. Kodiak Boots – The preferred footwear of tradespeople, teenage boys and iconic hosers Bob and Doug McKenzie, these boots are still proudly made in Canada.
2. Laura Secord Chocolates – Having been brought back to Canada by two Quebec businessmen, this chocolate manufacturer has been providing Canadians with taste treats for 97 years.
3. Dare Cookies - This Canadian manufacturer sells its cookies and other products worldwide. It is also the official cookie supplier of the Girl Guides of Canada. My choice for iconic product: Ultimate Maple Cookies, made with real maple syrup.
Three products—that’s all I came up with. I know there are more out there. Any suggestions?
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://bloggt.gifts-and-tablewares.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/217
Lori Smith, , Editor-in-Chief
Lori Smith is the editor of Gifts and Tablewares, Canada's premiere gifts and tablewares magazine. Written for retailers of gifts, tablewares, housewares, stationery and home furnishing accessories, its objective is to help readers increase their sales and run their businesses more profitably by providing information on new products, merchandising, small business management, customer service, consumer behavior and industry news. The magazine is published six times a year by BIG Magazines, LP, a leading Canadian information company.
Search
About
This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on July 26, 2010 3:07 PM.
The previous post in this blog was What's Your Store's Super Customer Saying?.
The next post in this blog is It’s Show Time! Are you ready? .
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
Comments (6)
There is a website called buycanadianfirst.ca that has hundreds of Made in Canada products/manufacturers - Lee Valley - Mr Freeze - Jakeman's Maple Syrup and so much more - They do not sell the things - only promote them. Blue Whale Pillows are made in canada too
Posted by mit | July 26, 2010 11:54 PM
Posted on July 26, 2010 23:54
Well I found this on Digg, and I like it so I dugg it!
Posted by Tattoo Removal Cream | July 27, 2010 12:31 AM
Posted on July 27, 2010 00:31
Thanks for the comments and the lead about the made in Canada website. Appreciate it!
Lori
Posted by Lori Smith | July 27, 2010 9:57 AM
Posted on July 27, 2010 09:57
Where are the Maple Syurp companies ??
B. C Hand carved Jade bears and eagles.
Native carved masks from the west coast.
I can think of many great Canadian munufactures . Maybe not as big as car builders. We do have some great snow board and skate board makers. I could go on for awhile . Yes the USA is a large manufacturing country but they have 350 or so million people , they should be . We hoever have 23 mil. or so . We do make a much better Beer than them , just ask the Olympic goer's .
HMMMMM
RT
Posted by Ron Thompson | July 27, 2010 1:15 PM
Posted on July 27, 2010 13:15
Hi Ron,
Thanks for the comment. I didn't know which maple syrup company to pick. Any ideas?
Lori
Posted by Lori Smith | July 27, 2010 2:10 PM
Posted on July 27, 2010 14:10
This is the perfect blog for anyone who wants to know about this topic. You know so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really would want...HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
Posted by Reborn Auto Sales | October 4, 2010 10:20 AM
Posted on October 4, 2010 10:20